On The Steelers: Jets vs. Steelers / Cornerbacks suffer by the comparisons
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Cornerback Ike Taylor gets himself ready before the Steelers' practice at their South Side facility Thursday. Taylor and the rest of the secondary will be challenged by the Jets' corps of receivers Sunday.
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On this side, representing the cornerback position for the New York Jets: Three-time Pro Bowler Darrelle Revis, one-time Pro Bowler Antonio Cromartie, rookie Kyle Wilson -- all first-round draft picks -- and Drew Coleman.
On this side, representing the Steelers at cornerback: Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, William Gay and Anthony Madison. Not a first-rounder nor Pro Bowler among them.
Sunday night in Heinz Field, it will be the diamonds vs. the rough at cornerback in the AFC championship game, the cornerback crème de la crème vs. the Rodney Dangerfields of the position.
Yet, somehow, there are people who do not feel all is lost at that position for the Steelers, even if those who say that work for the Steelers.
Taylor, for one, has been considered a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback around these parts for years. He often draws the other teams' best receivers as his assignment, and his work in their 2005 Super Bowl run was superb, although his play this season may have been his best.
The problem for Taylor has been interceptions, or the lack of them. Taylor has two this season and 10 in his eight-year career. He plays the ball nearly as well as any cornerback but rarely comes down with it.
Still, he does his primary job well, and that is to keep the ball away from the receiver. He covered Santonio Holmes Dec. 19 and the former Steelers Super Bowl MVP had only 40 yards on six catches.
"We didn't win, so I didn't do well enough," Taylor said.
Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace put Taylor in the same league as any Jets cornerback.
"I think he's one of the best. He's going to get overlooked, I guess, because he doesn't have as many interceptions as everybody else, but I think he does just as good of a job as any of those guys in one-on-one situations. We put him on the best player every week, and I don't ever really hear too much about him. I think he's doing a really good job out there."
First Published January 21, 2011 12:00 am
